CRISPR-Cas9 Explained: Guest Lecture Overview

Avijit Maity · Jain (Deemed-to-be University) · 26 September 2026

How did a defence system inside bacteria become one of the most powerful tools in modern biology? That was the big question behind our guest lecture on CRISPR-Cas9, delivered by Avijit Maity, Senior Scientist at Protein Design Pvt. Ltd., for students of the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry.

In just over a decade, CRISPR has gone from a lab discovery to a Nobel Prize and an approved medicine for sickle cell disease. The lecture breaks this journey into simple, visual steps — no heavy jargon, just clear ideas and everyday analogies.

What’s inside the slides

• The biology — how bacteria use CRISPR to remember and fight viruses
• The mechanism — Find → Cut → Repair, with DNA diagrams of Cas9, guide RNA and PAM
• NHEJ vs HDR — how the cell’s repair choice decides the final edit
• Beyond Cas9 — base editing, prime editing and CRISPR diagnostics
• Real-world uses in medicine, agriculture and microbiology
• Ethics — germline editing, the He Jiankui case and the cost of access
• Hands-on guide to designing your own guide RNA with free online tools
• Bonus: a key-terms cheat sheet and quick self-test questions

Who is it for?

UG students of biotechnology, biochemistry, microbiology and life sciences — or anyone curious about how gene editing really works.